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So I have a couple pieces that are starting to fade pretty bad I've read that people use 303 to spray onto their kites and line laundry, but which type? There's what looks like the original Aerospace Protectant, and now a special Fabric Guard. Which one seems to work best for kites?

THey are both pretty much the same thing. The only real difference is the fabric guard can be used on all types of fabric and doesn't last as long. The original aerospace protectant gets a bit better, longer lasting results.

aerospace protectant. I grew up around the ocean and have used this product since it first came out as an alternative to a grease some call armorall. It protects a lot of surfaces from drying out and fading from the sun Only drawback is that you really need to get it off before making any kind of repair with ca or repair tape

So does 303 leave that sort of greasy slickness that armorall does? I'm guessing that's why you need to clean it off before making repairs. Well, I guess I'll just have to pick some up and give it a whirl, afterall, what's the worst that can happen...huh, probably shouldn't have said that...

IT doesn't leave the grease residue that armorall does. In fact, once dry it doesn't feel like there is anything on the kite but you can tell the cloth is a bit more slick. One misconception is that it will bring back faded color, well no. IT is strictly a protectant and will not affect the cloth in any way. It can brighten the color for a bit but once its fully dry you won't notice a change. Armorall will remove the oxidation and brighten colors but in doing so its removing the fabric coating. THe caveat with any of these products is useage. IF you don't use it often enough it won't make a difference.

We did a lot of testing of 303 on banner fabric a few years ago. In much the same way that Ripstop nylon colors fade in sunlight, so do the colors of our banner fabric.

Before trying 303, we spoke to the manufacturer extensively. The people were very helpful and very honest. They pointed out that even on their website they don't promote any claims regarding use on Ripstop nylon

To quote: "Though it very well may be that 303 Aerospace Protectant's UV Screening properties are effective on Ripstop nylon (303 is effective on nylon in other forms), the company has received no reports of testing by any manufacturer."

303 was developed for use on "solid" surfaces. In other words continuous, non woven surfaces such as plastic, vinyl, etc. The effectiveness on woven fabrics is highly dependant on the quality of the base yarn, the weave density, the coatings used, etc. So much so that 303 prefer not to make any claims.

Our own testing ( 24 hours per day for 14 continuous months) found

1. No noticeable difference in color fade between adjacent treated and non-treated bands in the same lengths of fabric.

2. No noticeable difference in thread durability between adjacent treated and non-treated bands in the same lengths of fabric.

3. No noticeable difference between fabric treated every 6 weeks and fabric treated once at beginning of trial.

4. Noticeable difference in stain resistance between adjacent treated and non treated bands in the same length of fabric.

5. An initial noticeable difference in color brightness between adjacent treated and non-treated bands in the same length of pre-faded sample. HOWEVER, the same effect could be achieve by putting water or machine oil onto a faded sample.

and 6. Brings up the interior of my car REALLY nicely!!

Our conclusion...

Highly dependant on the cloth being treated. It isn't a miracle product for woven cloths, but the manufacturer doesn't claim it to be.

It may be very useful for your requirements, but will be dependent on what sailcloth you apply it to. Sailcloths with a firm coating on the fibres are ideal candidates for experimenting with, but as with any such product, repeated applications are necessary. It is not a spray once, protect forever product.

Interestingly, it DOES make sailcloths more sand resistant. Treated kites seem to shed the sand much more readily than untreated kites

Try wiping down with hair conditioner. This is recommended by Lam and I have been doing for a few years and it does crisp up the fabric and it is cheap. It won't restore but does provide a coating to absorb the UV and O2.

I use 303 on my pink maxi octopus and Zimmerman dragon and have not had any noticable fading. Actually, I buy it by the gallon and use a pesticide sprayer for application. I believe I get better coverage this way. It may not be a provable effect, but it makes me feel better.

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